Gunmen who killed mother 'may have planned to kill as many as possible,' say police

Tuesday 27 August 2013 10:07 BST

Killed: Nursery school teacher Sabrina Moss, 24

A mother shot dead as she celebrated her birthday may have been the victim of gunmen seeking to “kill as many people as possible”, police said today.

Nursery school teacher Sabrina Moss, 24, died and a friend was seriously injured when they were struck by bullets outside a fast food restaurant in Kilburn High Road.

Detectives said they believe Ms Moss, of Neasden, who had a son aged four, and the other woman, who has not been named, were not the targets.

They were among a crowd of about 20 people at Woody Grill kebab shop at 4am on Saturday. They had picked up a takeaway and were eating outside when two men, one armed with a shotgun, opened fire from across the street.

A car and the restaurant were peppered with shotgun pellets, and police have found 9mm bullet casings. Her 24-year-old friend, who was standing next to her, is said to be stable in hospital and is expected to recover. Two men arrested at the scene were also shot in the attack. They suffered minor injuries and were released without charge.

One theory is that they were the targets, but police are also looking at the possibility the attack was random.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Partridge, leading the inquiry, said: “We are investigating if someone in the crowd was the intended target or whether this was an indiscriminate, wanton discharge of fire where you could expect to injure or kill a number of people.

When you look at what happened, it is possible this was more a case of shoot as many people as possible rather than a targeted attack.”

Miss Moss’s parents John and Andrea paid tribute to their daughter, saying: “Our family has been devastated. Sabrina was a fun-loving girl who made friends wherever she went.

"She was a lovely daughter and a perfect mother to her young son, whom she adored. She cherished working as a nursery teacher and treasured working with the children, who will miss her dearly.”

Her mother added: “‘She had nothing to do with any gangs. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The gunmen ran off down Messina Avenue. Detectives believe it is possible more people were injured but have not contacted them.